


Passersby

by ALavenderHaze



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, F/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-30 14:17:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALavenderHaze/pseuds/ALavenderHaze
Summary: The 5 times Tessa encounters Scott post retirement and the 1 time Scott does.OR“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” - Buddha





	1. Pearson International Airport

**Author's Note:**

> Proceed at your own risk. This is not fluffy or light hearted at all. It will also be, more than likely, a bit cliche. Apologies for writing RPF. Please let me know what you think in the Comments section.

**i) Toronto Pearson International Airport (June 2019)**

This is the first time Tessa notices. 

"Hi Tess!"

Tessa looks towards the direction of the greeting and sees Scott as he wanders over to her.

"Hey, how are you doing?" she asks.

"Good! I am just connecting through and heading to Sault Ste Marie for a skating competition. You?"

" I am off to Montreal to do some work with Bonlook." Tessa says as she slightly shifts from side to side, not quite knowing what to say next and sensing a feeling of awkwardness creep up on her.

" Oh awesome! Scott replies with a friendly grin, Look I got to run but it was good seeing you Tess! See you around!" 

"Yeah umm see you around." The words tumbled out  of Tessa a bit more hesitantly than she intended.

She watches as he disappears into the maze of people heading towards their gates and as she makes her way to her gate for her flight it dawns on her. She doesn't remember the last time she spoke to Scott since they announced their retirement in December after the Walk of Fame event. They had meant to keep in touch; they had meant to stay in each other's lives. They really did love, care for and cherish the relationship they had formed. But somehow, in the last 6 months, life got the better of them. He was busy with coaching in Montreal and she was busy in Toronto. They texted once in awhile; the conversations growing shorter, the gaps between growing longer and the texts becoming more perfunctory. There was a lot of "what's up?' 'how are you' and ''hey' but not much substance. She wondered if he recognized this too? He did seem perfectly fine when they were chatting though. 

She gently shook her head as if she was trying to get rid of the thoughts in her mind and sat down at her gate with her book as she waited to board. 


	2. Montréal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years later she encounters him again on the streets of Montréal.

**ii) Montréal (2021)**

It's a brisk autumn afternoon in Montréal. The wind is getting chillier and the leaves are changing colours as they blow off the branches and collect onto the sidewalk. Tessa pulls her coat a bit tighter around her as she braces herself against the wind while walking up Rue Notre-Dame Ouest towards Thé Mon Café to meet with Mathieu. She had been discussing creating and co-designing a line of leotards with him and she needed to come to Montréal to have a face-to-face meeting.

As she walked along Notre-Dame, her thoughts drift back to 2016, 5 years ago, when she moved to Montréal to train with Marie-France and Patrice with Scott. Five years seems like a lifetime ago. She still messages Marie-France and Patrice; and, once in awhile, they even FaceTime or Skype. She checks in with them, they talk about family life, Gadbois and work. They ask her about what's going on in her life; they talk about a lot of things, but not Scott. Never Scott.

She can't really put her finger on it; she doesn't really know when it happened, but it did. They don't really talk now anymore. They might send each other a text at Christmas or New Years, and exchange pleasantries, but she doesn't even remember if they did that last year. Most of what she knows about his life she finds out through Charlie or Danny or Cara, they still keep in touch, at least more often than she and Scott do. She knows he's still in Montreal and still coaching at Gadbois; she knows he loves his job but really she doesn't know much else. 

She doesn't know how it became like this. _It's like the first surgery all over again, when they stopped talking for a few days and it grew into weeks then a few months.  Except this time, it's been at least a year, maybe more? She doesn't really remember the last time she spoke to him or even texted him. Because, at a certain point in the silence, an awkwardness settled in. Who would get in touch first? What would you say? What was there to talk about? There were no schedules, interviews, training sessions, tour shows or practices to coordinate anymore. Skating was over, what was left to talk about?_ And, at least for Tessa, she got more used to it. It was never any more comfortable but it was acceptable; it was just part of life. It was what it was and life carried on. She had her life; he had his.  She was lost in her thoughts as she gently kicked at the leaves on the sidewalk as she strolled along. 

"Tessa?"

She heard her name called and looked up. She blinked. Twice. Not really sure if what was in front of her was real or a figment of her imagination. 

"Tessa?"

She snaps out of her thoughts. It was definitely real. There was Scott. His hair was a bit shorter, his face a little more rugged, there was a bit of stubble and those crows feet at corners of his eyes were a bit more prominent. It was definitely him, a bit older, but still him. 

"Um, Hi." Tessa replies, slightly uncertain. She hadn't spoken to him in ages and definitely not in person since she ran into him at the airport in Toronto a few years ago.

"How are you doing? What brings you to town?" he asks. She hears a similar tone of awkwardness and uncertainty seep into his voice. The kind people get when they feel inclined to make small talk with someone they don't really know. It's a bit unsettling, but she replies anyways. 

"Oh I am just in town for a business meeting. I am collaborating with a local designer to create a line of leotards." She didn't want to mention that it was Mathieu. All of that seemed like a lifetime ago and she doesn't really want to bring it up. So she deflects and changes the topic. "How are things with you?"

He's standing there across from her hands shoved into his jean pockets with a black hoodie and a Canada puffer vest on as he rocks back and forth on his heels. 

" _I guess some things don't change_." She thought.

"Yeah, life's good. I am really busy at the rink. I took on a couple more new teams this year so its been a busier year." He hesitates for a second. She can see he thinking about something, wondering if he should say it. Then he says, "So, uh, how long are you in town for? Are you free tomorrow? Maybe we could grab a coffee, catch up?"

She processes his question and hesitates. And, as a habit, she glances at her watch, it was 2:45pm; she was due to meet Mathieu in 15 minutes. 

"Sorry, Scott. I got to run or I'll be late for my meeting, it's in about 15 minutes. But, yeah, I am leaving tomorrow night but maybe we could grab coffee earlier in the day?" I'll call you!" 

"Uh sure, yeah, call me, let me know. I don't want to make you late for your meeting so, I'll catch you later?"

"Yeah. Sure.Later." she replies. 

He walks off in the opposite direction as she continues walking towards the cafe. In actuality, Mathieu wouldn't have minded if she was a few minutes late, but really that wasn't the point was it? The point was the silence had grown so long and the chasm between them so wide, she just wouldn't know what to say, or what they would talk about over coffee. They would probably just end up staring, over cups of coffee, at each other not knowing how to begin. Then it dawns on her, she doesn't even know if she has his number on her phone anymore, lost in the shuffle of new phones and contact transfers. She hasn't checked. Was it even the same number? They have become those acquaintances who always make plans for coffee, to catch up, but don't. 

She glances at her watch again. 2:55pm. She pushes the thoughts out of her mind as she quickens her pace determined to get to the cafe on time. 

 

 


	3. Ossington, Toronto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa encounters Scott again, 3 years later, in Toronto

**iii) Ossington, Toronto (2024)**

 It's spring in Toronto. Tessa loves spring. She loves the smell of fresh flowers wafting in the air from the flower shops. She loves the feel of the sunshine on her skin and the first signs of summer peeking through. Not only is today a wonderful spring day but it's May. May 17, her birthday. She clutches the hand hers is intertwined with a bit tighter and glances up at Tim. He's tall, has chestnut brown hair and warm brown eyes. She met him in one of her MBA classes a couple years ago. They discovered they had a lot in common. He enjoys reading and prefers a night in instead of a night out. He loves to rock climb, travel and has a bit of a daredevil streak. But, that's balanced out by his demeanour. He's even-keeled and calm and never lets things get to him. She is happy, content, in love. They stroll down Ossington Avenue trying to navigate their way through the crowd that had come out in droves to enjoy the lovely spring afternoon. They're heading to a spot for lunch, when Tim suddenly stops in front of her. 

"Sorry," he said, "My apologies." 

 Tessa glances up and sees that he had accidentally bumped into a woman crossing from the opposite direction. There are so many people around it's unavoidable. 

 "Oh no, it's fine! No harm done at all!" the woman replied. 

 Tessa looks at her, she's about her height. She has curly chestnut brown hair and bright hazel eyes and the warmest smile on her face. She looks bubbly, full of life and kind. 

 "Ally?" a male voice called from the crowd behind her, "Are you alright?" 

 Tessa sees someone trying to navigate their way through. "Almost lost you there." he said, as he got to Ally's side. " What happened are you -" He stops and looks up. Tessa, having been distracted by something else looks over and recognizes the holder of the male voice. She squeezes Tim's hand a bit tighter. 

 "Scott?" Tessa asks, almost disbelievingly. She's pretty sure she is standing in the middle of Ossington with a dazed look on her face as the rest of the world bustles by around her. 

 "Tessa?" Tim's voice snaps her awake. "Is everything okay sweetheart?" 

 She looks at Scott and sees that he has a similar dazed look on his face, as if he doesn't know what to do or how to process  _this_. 

 They hadn't seen each other since they bumped into each other on that chilly autumn day in Montreal when they mentioned catching up over coffee and never did. _The last few years have been kind to him_ she observes. _There's a spark in his eyes and a levity in his demeanour. He seems happy and content. She was happy for him. After the downward spiral that was post-Sochi Scott, this was all she'd ever wished for him. To be happy, and find someone who loved him, someone with whom he could tackle the wild ride of life._

 "Scott?" Ally calls, "Are you okay?"  and Scott snaps out of his daze. 

 "Hmm yeah fine." he replies as he puts his arm around her and tucks her into his side. Then, he looks at Tessa. 

 "Hi." Tessa says, "it's nice to see you, you're looking well. Tim and I were just heading to lunch."

"Yeah." he replies it nice to see you too. Ally and I are heading to a spot for lunch too on Queen's Street West"

 While this is going on, Ally and Tim have introduced themselves to each other, exchanging pleasantries. 

 "Alright." Tessa says, "Tim, we got to go, we have a reservation we need to make." 

 "Sure, babe. Let's go" Tim replies, oblivious to what’s going on. 

 "I'll see you around Scott."

"Yeah," Scott replies "I'll see you around.” 

 As they brush shoulders while he and Ally and she and Tim head down opposite directions of Ossington Avenue, she swears she hears him whisper, "Happy Birthday Tess." But, as she turns around to check, he and Ally have already disappeared into the crowd of people on this warm, spring day. As she and Tim continue walking along Ossington, she thinks maybe she should send him a birthday card in September; maybe, for old times sake. 


	4. Starbucks, Toronto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They run into each other at a Starbucks in Toronto, two years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this is such a short chapter but it serves a purpose for what's to come. The last chapter (the 5+1 Chapter a.k.a Ch.6) will be longer to make up for it.

** v) A Starbucks, Toronto (2026) **

It was an unusually brisk, late August weekend morning, as Tessa stepped into a Starbucks to order coffees. 

“Morning! May I get a Grande flat white with almond milk and a Grande cafe latte with almond milk as well?” 

As she stood off to the side to wait for her order, she saw a man walk by; he looked familiar. 

“Scott?”

The man turned around,a set of hazel eyes looked at her. 

“Hi! Tessa!” his response was happy, carefree. 

She felt that awkwardness that had settled around them grow just slightly lighter. 

“Morning coffee run, eh?” he asks as he gestures towards to counter. 

“Yeah, just picking up some coffee for myself and Tim. You?”

“Me too, just grabbing some coffee for myself and Ally.”

She hesitates slightly then asks, “How are you?” 

_She hesitates because it’s not really ‘how are you’ it’s a loaded question. It encompasses so much more than those three words. Really it’s asking, are you happy? How’s your family? How’s your partner, How’s life? How’s work? Are you married? Do you have kids?  How's everything??_

_Yet somehow saying "How are you" was easier than asking all those other questions, it seemed more detached, less personal, safe._

_Observing his demeanour and the lightness in his eyes she could see that they were there now, about 7 years after they announced their retirement, personally, in a happy place. Finally. She was glad, she really was but she missed Scott, the friend. She missed the ease of conversation, when they told each other all their secrets. Now they barely kept in touch, this was the first time she had spoken to him since they ran into each other a couple years ago on Ossington._

_But as she watches his expression subtly change, she can judge from his shift in expression that he understands that’s what she means. Perhaps the years of developing that intrinsic understanding of one another, forged through years of shared moments, experiences and memories, punctuated by feelings of happiness, sadness, elation and heartache, is still there….unforgotten._

“I am good,” he replies, “we’re happy, the Moirs are still as loud and mischievous as ever, the parents are doing well. Work is amazing. So, yeah life’s good.” 

“You?” he asks, a bit hesitantly, as if he’s afraid he’s asking too much, overstepping his boundaries.

“I am good! Life’s been amazing, Tim and I have been doing a lot of travelling together. We’re planning on going to Venice in October.” 

And so, for once, the first time in 7 years, she feels like they might just have a breakthrough, that the chasm between them might be closing, that they might be returning to some sort of comfortable equilibrium. There was a levity to this short conversation; they both sounded relaxed and happy with where life was. _Maybe this will work out_ she thinks. So, before she heads out the door, with her coffees in hand, she says, “Let’s keep in touch Scott!” 

“For sure!” he replies as he flashes a smile.

But they don’t keep in touch, because sometimes life gets in the way, and sometimes, life is cruel. 


	5. London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa encounters Scott again, four years later, on the streets of London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story so far. It's almost over, there's only 1 chapter left! Let me know what you think in the comments below.  
> Last chapter will be published tomorrow! :)

** v) London (2030)  **

It’s a chilly December afternoon as Tessa parks her car to head into the Hobby and Toy in London armed with a Christmas wish list.She wishes she had the time to sort out all the kids’ gifts earlier but she flew in late and she just didn’t have the time. It’s been a rough couple of years and for now she was just glad she was keeping things afloat. 

She married Tim four years ago and, for awhile, life was wonderful, until that one fateful day 2 years ago. Tim was working late at the office one night when he was involved in a collision as both the cars hit an icy patch of highway and lost control. She lost Tim that night. Wonderful, sweet, kind, quiet, caring Tim but she knew she had to move on, for both their sakes. So, in an effort to do so, she found a new job, packed up her bags, and moved to Vancouver. 

She’s been learning to be happy; she’s getting there. There are some good days and some not so good days. She’s gone back to therapy, but slowly and surely she knows she’s getting there. 

 She wanders the aisles of the the toy store methodically placing each item on the list into the cart. When she’s finished, she heads over to the cashier to pay. Bags of toys in tow, Tessa tries to navigate herself out the doors of the toyshop when she accidentally bumps into someone coming in. 

“Sorry.” she murmurs, not looking up from the mass of bags she was trying to coordinate. 

“Tessa?”

She looks up, “Scott?” 

He surveys the situation and asks, “You need a hand there?” 

“That’d be great; thanks!” 

He takes a few bags off her and follows her to her car. As they load up her trunk, they both spot the ring on the other’s finger.

“So you’re married, eh?” he inquires softly. 

 “Yeah, you too hey?” she replies. _It was easier than explaining everything that had gone on in her life the last couple years. It was a lot, something she didn’t feel like she could tell_ him. _Maybe once upon a time it was something she could've told him, but, now? Now, it felt too personal, too emotional_ _to let him in on. Anyways, she didn't feel like she should or could burden him with the knowledge of everything she's has dealt with the last couple years._

“Me too!”, Scott replies, “It’s great, Ally and I are really happy, we had a small wedding just family, you know….” he drifts off, almost as if he was trying to justify himself but she’s quick to respond. 

 “Yeah I get it, me too.” she replies as she puts the last bag into the trunk. 

 He stands there, across from her, rubbing the nape of his neck. _She feels that same awkwardness settling into the cold, frigid air around them. She hadn’t seen him for four years, didn’t even know he was married. But, he didn’t know she was either. She wanted to ask him how he was, how his family was. Did he have kids? What were they like? What were their names? How were his parents?_

_With everything life’s thrown at her the past couple years, she didn’t keep in touch with the Moirs anymore. She wanted to tell him about her family too. But it just wouldn’t come out. That chasm that she felt forming a decade or so ago has only gotten wider in time. There’s a lot she wants to say, she just doesn’t know if she’s ready. And so, just like all the other times they passed by each other, she keeps quiet._

 “Well….” he starts, “it was nice seeing you. I’ve got gifts to pick up for the kids too.” He smiles slightly holding up a piece of notebook paper. “Merry Christmas Tessa.”

“Yes,” she says softly, “Merry Christmas and thank you.” as she gestures towards her trunk, 

 “No problem!” he says as he turns to enter Hobby and Toy.

Tessa closes the trunk and begins her drive home. 


	6. Vancouver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott encounters Tessa one weekend afternoon at an arena in Vancouver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last and longest chapter in this story and it will be from Scott's perspective. Thank you for reading this story to the end as angsty as it might be. I appreciate all your comments and I hope it was somewhat enjoyable, in its own way.  
> Please let me know what you've thought of the chapter and the story as a whole in the comments below. 
> 
> Thank you.

** v + i) Vancouver (2032) **

Scott picks up his skates and checks to make sure he has everything he needs with him. His teams had just finished practice and he saw the novice ice dance teams get onto the ice for their practice. As he watches the novice dancers start their practice his memories bring him back to his time as a novice dancer, with Tessa.  _Tessa_ he thinks _I wonder how she's been?_

He starts walking out of the rink towards the main lobby of the arena. It’s only 3pm on a Saturday but its been a long day. He was here in Vancouver for the week to coach his skaters that had entered this event. It’s only day 2 and he has a few more days left here but really, he just wanted to get back to Montréal to see Ally and their little 2 year old boy and 4 year old daughter.

As he approaches the lobby he sees a bunch of Grade 1 kids get picked up by the entrance. There had been a special hockey skills camp in one of the other rinks in the arena, so it had been particularly busy that day. As he waits to let the group clear out of the arena before he heads to his car, he notices a young boy sitting with his hockey equipment on the chairs off to the side. He wanders over and sits down next to him. 

“Hey buddy, my name’s Scott,” he says “are you alright?”

The kid looks up and a pair of bright green eyes stare back at Scott. It triggers something and Scott is momentarily taken aback, then he hears the kid respond.

“Hi, my name is Theo. Yeah I am okay. I am just waiting for mom.” As the boy replies, he eyes Scott curiously and his eyes land on the pair of skates Scott’s holding in his hands.

“Why are you holding skates?” Theo asks, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

“I am a coach.” Scott replies. 

Theo’s eyes light up. “Do you coach hockey? I play hockey!”

Scott chuckles, “No, I coach figure skating.” 

“Oh,” the boy replies thoughtfully, “That’s cool, I have never done figure skating before. My mom asked me if I wanted to try it once but I think hockey is cooler. Is figure skating fun?”

“Definitely!” Scott answers. 

“Cool, I hope my mom comes soon, my aunt is flying in from Toronto to visit today and I can’t wait to see her. But, I get it.” he says wistfully.

“Oh?” Scott reacts, he’s surprised at the level of maturity this little six year old displays. 

“Yeah, mom works hard, she’s really busy and I know it’s hard but, since Daddy’s been gone, it’s just her and me. It’s just us against the world, that’s what she always says.” Theo lets out a little laugh at the end. “Mom’s awesome though she always tries to make sure we get to do fun things when she’s not as busy. This happens sometimes and I am used to it. Mr. Coulson at the skate shop keeps an eye out for me." Theo looks over to the kindly, old man sitting at the skate shop desk and waves. 

“ _Us against the world_.” Scott thought, that triggers a long buried memory within him too, much like the boy’s bright, green eyes did. 

Scott ends up sitting with Theo while he waits for his mom to arrive. In the half hour or so, they talk about dinosaurs and favourite ice cream flavours. Turns out they both like chocolate milk _and_ hot chocolate. They also both think the Leafs are the best team ever, even though neither of them live in Toronto. Scott finds out that Theo likes to read and finds himself thinking that he hopes his own son is a bit like Theo one day. Kind, thoughtful and funny. 

The arena has quieted down by now. The only people left are the man at the skate shop and the girl atthe reception desk. They hear the front door open and Theo’s head shoots up and turns towards the door. 

“Mommy!” he yells as he launches himself from the chair towards the entrance. Scott’s eyes follow the boy’s trajectory and he wasn’t prepared for what he saw at the end. 

_It couldn’t be,_ Scott thought, _she hadn’t even mentioned that she had a kid the last time he saw her a couple years ago at the entrance of ‘Hobby and Toy’  in London. But then again, they didn’t really talk, he'd helped her load her bags into her trunk and exchanged pleasantries, that was it. They hadn’t really talked in years. Every time they had crossed paths over the years, they had passed each other by on the street or in a building, it never really got beyond the pleasantries; they never really talked._

 This is the first time he really notices. 

_How did it get to this? They didn’t even know each other anymore. Heck he didn’t know she had a 6 year old or moved to Vancouver! But then again, had he asked? Had they really talked? It’s been 13 years since they moved on from skating together but it might as well have been 50._ _They were in their forties now; their twenties seemed like eons ago. They might just as well have been strangers passing by._

_And suddenly, from somewhere deep down inside, it shocks him. Like a long forgotten item buried away in the attic, dust accumulating and never seeing the light of day, emerging from the recesses of his mind, he realizes he’s missed her._ _He's truly missed her, so much._ _He’s missed his best friend, his partner in crime, the kid he went to get ice cream with, drive home on weekends from Michigan with, experience all his formative years with, danced with._

_Somehow, somewhere along the way, other people and other relationships became their priorities, their partners, their kids, even their work. Life went on and so did they. In many ways, he had expected this to happen after they retired, welcomed it even. But it never occurred to him that more than a decade down the line, in an empty arena in Vancouver on a Saturday afternoon, it would hit him, like a ton of bricks._

_It wasn’t that he was unhappy with his life, his family, or Ally. He loved Ally and their kids, so much. They meant the world to him. He just didn’t expect he would ever miss Tessa the way he seems to have. Like it was some hidden, unacknowledged and unresolved emotion buried deep down for years, in the hopes that if he buried it away far enough, it wouldn't resurface, yet it has, more than a decade later, it definitely has._ _He realizes then that he never dealt with this emotion, believing that if he moved on quickly enough, it would fade into the background of his life, that the noise, the vibrancy, the life, of the present would drown out the memories of his past. But then again, was it a belief?_ he thought, or,  _was it merely a hope, a wish?_

Scott is shaken from his thoughts as he hears Theo’s voice drift through the mostly empty arena. 

“Mommy, come meet my new friend!”

Scott hears her respond, she hadn’t noticed him yet. He sees Theo grabbing her arm trying to drag her over from the corner of his eye.

“Hi sweetie. Sorry mommy’s late. Theo, where are you dragging me?” she laughs as she says this and, for a moment, an image of that 7 year old little girl, with that huge, thunderous laugh, flashes in front of Scott. Then he hears her say Theo’s name louder, and he’s stunned, riveted to his spot. 

“ _Theodore Joseph_! Slow down!” 

Scott takes a deep breath, almost bracing himself, lifts his head up and sees Theo dragging his mom over. It was Tessa. She was in a wool coat, still looking as immaculately put together as she always had. She still had long brown hair that cascaded down, past her shoulders. But, as Theo pulled her closer, he could see the moment the recognition dawned on her.

Scott stood up as they drew closer. Theo’s voice grew louder as it echoed in the arena and as he became more excited while he told his mom about his new friend who also liked chocolate milk and the Leafs. But that’s all faded and turned into white noise around Scott until he shouts out, “This is Scott, mommy!”

He could see a relaxed, welcoming smile spread across her face. One he hadn’t seen in years. “Hi Scott. I see you’ve met Theo!” her voice is light, her tone jovial.He looks down at Theo standing in front of Tessa, his bright, green eyes beaming at Scott with unbounded joy. Her hands were folded across Theo’s chest gently to stop him from wriggling about. She didn’t have a ring on, he notices. 

“Yeah.” he replies, not sure how to continue, still a bit awestruck at the events that have just unfolded in front of him. 

“I hope Theo wasn’t too much trouble for you!” she says as she hoists Theo into her arms while he smiles and giggles at her and she smiles back. 

As Scott watches Tessa with her son, he sees the joy and adoration that radiants off them and realises, _she’s so happy with Theo and with life, she looks energized, content, at peace, joyful. That’s all he’s ever wished for her. He sees that sparkle that’s returned to those brilliantly green eyes, a sparkle that had seemed to be missing when he last saw her in London a couple years ago._ But still, he can’t help the next line that tumbles out. 

“So Joseph, huh?” he cocks his head to the side with a little mirthful grin on his face.

Tessa turns her attention from Theo and looks over and replies, simply, in a measured manner.

“Yes Joseph, you Moirs are my family too after all.”

Scott stands there, processing what Tessa has just told him. He takes a deep breath, bracing himself for what he's about to say next, and says softly, "I've missed you, Tess." 

He observes her standing across from him, noticing how her gaze drifts down, staring at the floor. He was so focused on observing her reaction to his comment, he barely hears her faint response, "I've missed you too, Scott."

With that, Scott’s mind flashes back to the countless car rides shared to and from Kitchener-Waterloo, the hundreds of hours of conversation on their drives from Canton to Ontario, the thousands of laughs, inside jokes, hugs, heartaches, disappointments, tears, achievements and feelings of pride and absolute elation they shared. But he also recalls, that moment, 11 years ago, on the streets of Montréal one cool, autumn day and says, “So, are you free for that coffee, catch up maybe?”

A smile tentatively spreads across Tessa’s face but grows as she replies “Definitely! I can’t wait to hear what you’ve all been up to! We’ve a lot to catch up on.” 

And as they sat in a nearby coffee shop over coffees and hot chocolate (for Theo…mostly) and chatted about life, work, their kids, Ally, the Moirs and the Virtues, they could feel that chasm that had formed so many years ago, slowly begin to close.  

 

> _**“There are people who you will love until the end. Certain feelings are too powerful to perish and quietly survive on in the heart for a life. No matter how much we change or drift apart, in some small way, you will always be mine, and I will always be yours.**_ **”** -  _Beau Taplin // Eternal Matter_


End file.
